6 weeks post-op…only 15 lbs lost…sharing my struggles and lessons.

[forgetmenot 27]

New poster here. My SW was 207 lbs and 6 weeks out, I’m only down to 192 lbs and haven’t experienced any NSV’s like smaller clothing, etc. It goes without saying that I’ve been following the surgeon/nutritionist recommendations for fluids (10 cups/day), Protein (75 g), calories (currently in the 600 range) and exercise (5k brisk walk 6x a week, weight training 2x a week). Purely looking at these results, I guess my self-pay VSG might turn out to be a failure.

What I thought might be interesting share is that I am lucky enough to have access to state-of-art instruments that take body composition. These measurements show that over the post-op period, I gained 15 lbs of Fluid and 2lbs of lean mass (hopefully some of which is muscle). If you crunch through the math, I have lost in excess of 32 lbs of body fat. So I guess the #1 takeaway from my experience is that if you are experiencing weight gain and/or a stall, it’s worthwhile to invest in a body composition measurement device. I understand that a decent quality one can be purchased on Amazon for ~60 which might not be 100% accurate in an absolute sense but will suffice for tracking your own progression.

After a battery of tests and doctor’s visits, we’ve ruled out the usual medical causes for Water retention like kidney disease, too much sodium, protein deficiency, hormones, etc. I understand from reading bodybuilding forums that exercise itself can cause water retention but I don’t think it’s clear cut that I should stop exercising, since working out can also relieve water retention. The final diagnosis I got was “idiopathic edema” which essentially means that my water retention is a random occurrence for which there is no physiological explanation.

When all is said and done, here is the reality that I’m trying to come to terms with. There are a couple ways to do the math but here’s one example – even a highly athletic woman my height carries 20 pounds of body fat, which is “only” 35-40lbs less than my current fat mass. However, I am overweight by 60lbs relative to a 25bmi, and much more than that if you use an alternate formula for an ideal weight. So the arithmetic says that I am carrying around at least 20lbs of excess water, which I have come to learn is a different beast from excess fat. We know that losing a pound of fat requires creating a certain amount of caloric deficit but at this point there is nothing more I can do to get rid of the water weight. The doctor prescribed a water pill but it’s probably not a long-term solution and any water I lose might come back once I go off the medication. I fully intend to use the VSG tool to lose that extra 35-40lbs of fat but at that point, I might still be officially classified as overweight/obese even though the surgery did everything that it was supposed to do. ­­­­Before committing to the surgery, I had scoured through this message board to mentally prepare myself for all the bad scenarios that could come up but this was not an outcome that I was able to mentally prepare for. Hopefully other members out there find my story useful.

Edited February 22, 2017 by forgetmenot

[Berry78 4,261]

Do you have visible swelling? Hands, feet, ankles?

There is a post somewhere that basically states that while your body is breaking down fat to turn it into glycogen, it requires Water to do so... and the assumption is something like 8 pounds of Water weight is typical. If you are busy building additional muscle, that probably takes even more.

Please don't take the water pills. Your body is holding onto that Fluid for a reason, and when it doesn't need it anymore, it will let it go. You are still very early in this process, and are doing great!

We have "the 3 week stall"... I think we need to coin "the 6 week panic" everyone goes through this!

The last diet I went on I lasted for 6 weeks. Lost about 15lbs and thought I had done a great job! The difference is this is a new lifestyle for you. This isn't just another diet.

[James Marusek 5,244]

You are only 6 weeks out !!! After surgery your weight loss is a function of the type of surgery that you had. I had RNY gastric bypass and I lost my weight very quickly but then at 7 months I leveled off after losing almost 120 pounds. But sleeve patients lose weight at a much slower rate. Some are still losing after 2 years. Sleeve patients tend to encounter stalls quite often. So just keep following the program guidelines. It is way too soon to give up.

[Diva Taunia 198]

I don't mean to diminish your feelings or disappointment at all, because I know that we all have to go through the emotional journey that comes along with weight loss surgery. However, I can't help but be concerned that at only six weeks out you and your doctor are coming to such a dramatic and negative conclusion about your surgery. You've lost 15 lbs in a month and a half: that's a huge success.

While I certainly understand your concerns about Water retention and I'm glad you're looking into that, I do hope that you will also focus on the real success that you've had as well.

I remember when I had my surgery, I had this nagging "What if I'm the only person this surgery doesn't work for?!?" feeling all the time: wondering if I wasn't losing fast enough or just enough period. Everyone's body is different, and everyone's success is different. 15 lbs is fantastic!

[forgetmenot 27]

Thanks for all the encouragement! It means alot to me.

Berry78 - Yes we observed major swelling in the face/arms/legs. I declined a Water pill at first but the doctor pointed out that my blood pressure was too high and hemoglobin too low as a result of the extra Water, where even before the surgery my BP was always normal. The water pill is very low dose and is the same one that get prescribed for hypertension so I figured I have no choice. I will see whether I can tolerate the pill, maybe cut back on exercise slightly and see how it goes.

[Stephanielp 120]

I know we are supposed to take the Vitamins religiously but I noticed my weight loss stopped when I was taking them...I stopped and started losing again I am 4 weeks post op

progress starts in the mind

[Sandee29 113]

Forgetmenot....I had the sleeve on 12/21 and I had a stall for about 3 weeks and then started losing again. I'm losing about a pound a week, I'm frustrated and want to press the fast forward button... BUT my weight is going in the right direction where it wasn't going before the surgery. So... stick with the exercise and stick with the healthy eating and Celebrate your loss!!

Stephanielp.. not taking your Vitamins might be detrimental.. you're not getting all your nutrients from food.

[Berry78 4,261]

Ok, so the Water pill is for more than just invisible Water. In that case, it is the right thing to do to follow Dr.'s orders.

The walking is a good thing. Weight lifting might be more strain than you need quite yet, especially if you are pushing yourself.

Hopefully your system will get rebalanced soon, and you will feel better.

[2-Liter 364]

I have Faith that your Breakthrough is on the way. It sounds like you have a Great plan so keep working it and the losses will start showing on the scale. Are you able to keep your Carbs low like in the 20 and below range because it seems like Carb restriction has been the most help in my weight loss so far.

[Greensleevie 451]

On 2/22/2017 at 11:16 AM, Stephanielp said:

I know we are supposed to take the Vitamins religiously but I noticed my weight loss stopped when I was taking them...I stopped and started losing again I am 4 weeks post op

progress starts in the mind

TAKE YOUR Vitamins.

What you experienced is the typical third week stall (Google it). If anything, NOT taking your vitamins will hinder your weight loss.

[Stephanielp 120]

I've restarted now had to get different ones

progress starts in the mind